Insert Story Title Here
by Cheese Nachos Supreme
Summary: DRY BONES is an undead Koopa with high ambitions. He leaves Bowser's Castle with a dream of not being too... dead... and having a normal life. KOOPA TROOPA is the junior librarian in Kamek's former, now his grandfather Koopa Krag's, library. He is in danger of dying of boredom. What happens when Dry Bones and Koopa meet?
1. Dry Bones: A Light in My World

***Insert Story Title Here***

**One: Dry Bones - A Light in My World**

...

Bowser couldn't believe what I had just said. He blinked a few times, maybe to see whether he was dreaming or not, but he wasn't. Oh, come on, I thought. You are not dreaming, this is just the horrible reality. Please say something, anything, so I can get out of this terrible place.

Finally, he did say something, and that something was the very sentence I had thought he would say.

"But why?!"

Luckily, I had prepared myself with possible answers to the possible questions he might ask. Whenever you're gonna have a conversation with the Lord of Lava, you can't just get out there and converse like normal people. You have to come prepared, or the wrong answers might just land you in his lava moat. Don't laugh! It's true - it happened the other day to Goomboss the head Goomba. Bowser asked to "speak" with him and he came out without arming himself with answers. The next day, I was positive I saw Goomboss' durable fireproof shoe floating in the lava moat near the east wing.

But before I could say any word of the smart answer I've prepared for myself ("My family's moving to Los Angeles"), Bowser went on, "But why?! You're one of my most loyal servants, Dry Bones!"

Yup. There it was. Bowser had even said it himself.

The truth is, I'm TIRED of being someone else's filthy servant. I've always wanted to be an independent skeleton for a change. I'd like to be rid of the problems you have to cope with if you live here in Bowser's Castle... And the rules! The rules are the most exasperating and frustrating of them all. Don't say anything funny or you'll end up in the lava moat. Don't do anything funny or you'll end up in the lava moat. Don't tell Bowser Jr. what he can and can't do or you'll end up in the lava moat. Whenever Mario comes here, you better make sure you defeat him or you'll end up in the lava moat. And whatever you do, never EVER touch Bowser's prized pinball machine or you'll end up in the nastiest part of the lava moat.

"I'm sorry Lord Bowser, but I'm moving to another part of Mushroom Kingdom," I said, sighing and dropping my Los Angeles story. It had just occurred to me that it would be very awkward if I did say I was moving to Los Angeles but Bowser saw me watching tennis tournaments in Peach Court the next day. No. I'm going to have to be more careful, which means, no Los Angeles.

"But you can't just quit!"

"I'm sorry my lord, but there's nothing else I can do."

"Dry Bones is right," Kamek, Bowser's advisor and personal assistant chimed in. "He's moving far, far away to another part of the Mushroom Kingdom, along with his parents and sister and-"

"SILENCE!" Bowser bellowed, glaring at Kamek. "Did anyone grant you permission to speak?" Kamek withered slightly and squeaked, "No, sir! Sorry, sir!"

Kamek. Of everyone here in the castle, I have to admit that Kamek is the closest one to me. Other than having revived me after the Mario Party Hexoskeleton incident, he was always there to back me up.

Bowser turned back to me. "You're staying here."

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that's not possible, my lord Bowser."

I could just see Bowser's rage bubbling. He didn't like what I was saying at all. Suddenly he erupted with rage and roared, "YOU ARE STAYING HERE!"

He suddenly roared and shot a column of lava at me. Now, you might think that I'm just a lonely bag of bones with no other special skills rather than springing back up after most attacks. But since the Mario Party guys zapped me with magic, I'd somehow gained a bit of magical powers, especially that over thunderbolts and electricity.

I made a shield of electricity around myself, which repelled Bowser's lava attack. Bowser simply stood there opening and closing his mouth wordlessly like a goldfish, and I felt a bit proud of myself.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm leaving," I said again. "Goodbye."

And that was that.


	2. Koopa: Insert First Chapter Title Here

**Two: Koopa - *Insert First Chapter Title Here***

The Journal of a Librarian (that's myself)  
_By Koopa Troopa_

"I scanned the environment around me. Nothing. That is, nothing but rows and rows of books. You name it, we have it. Dusty old books, sleek new ones, books about Goombas, books about Toads, books about the princesses. You name it, we're certain we've got it somewhere on these dusty old shelves.

Why am I here? The main question. Well, it all started right after the Mario Party incident when Mario and his friends kicked Kamek out of the library. I don't really know what that Kamek is up to now, but he left the library. Maybe he returned to Bowser's Castle, I don't know, but this library somehow fell into my gramps Koopa Krag's hands, and he's determined to keep its business going. Of course, we no longer have magic star-containing lamps anymore, but we still do have sliding bookshelves. My gramps hates them. He always mutters, "Curse these fancy doo-dads!" whenever one of them accidentally slides into his way.

Me? I love them! I think this library is filled with wonder and mysteries. It's also helped by the fact that Kamek is a wizardy-psychic or something, but now this library is practically crammed with magical stuff.

But since now I'm an official librarian, I think I might start by reading a few books and write some of my own, even. This is my first manuscript. Although it tells of the seemingly-insignificant-to-the-other-Mushroom-King dom-citizens ME, and my life, it's a start. I just hope there's someone else who can spice things up over here... like a _friend_.

For a long time it's just been me and gramps."


	3. Dry Bones: The Spirit Outside

**Three: Dry Bones - The Spirit OUTside**

Walking out of Bowser's throne room is a workout itself. It's so far in and hard to reach that it's hard to get out of.

As I walked over the stone tiles of Bowser's Castle, I pondered this situation over. Cool! I'm now an independent skeleton, not just some random backbone to prop Bowser up. I can make my own decisions.

And my powers! They'd obviously gotten stronger since the last time I used them. My new status as an independent skeleton and my powered-up magic only means one thing: I'm ready for my OWN adventure, not the one Bowser had put me into. His was just a never-ending sort-of adventure to capture Peach and defeat Mario. To me, that adventure is going rather stale.

All right, people! Get ready to meet the NEW and improved Dry Bones.

As I passed the Boo Room, I kept on walking ahead without looking at any of the Boos. Bowser has assigned me to this room a whole lot of times, I'm no longer afraid of the trailing Boos. I think the Boos are also getting tired of trailing me because few even glanced my way as I headed for the other room.

Except for one Boo.

Though he looks the same as any other Boo in the room, I can sense that this was the Boo who's always loved to trail me no matter what. I think I've begun to get attached to the little guy - or should I say that he's begun to get more than a little attached to me?

"BOO!"

Suddenly he appeared larger than life right in front of me, blocking me from the doorway, making me jump.

"Sorry, little guy, but I'm leaving today," I told him once I'd calmed down enough. He didn't look as if he understood.

"Well, I'm not gonna be around here anymore, OK?" This time he understood and pasted a sad, pouting expression on his face. I sighed. "I know, I'm going to miss you too, but I'm moving to... Another part of Mushroom Kingdom." The only thing he did was pout even more.

"Goodbye," I said, passing right through him. But before I could even take a few steps, he had appeared before me again, the same pout still there.

"Oh come on, please let me go," I said. He shook his head. I sighed again. "Well, what are you going to do about that, then? You can't possibly come wi-"

Suddenly he nodded, as if I'd taken the words right out of his mouth.

Then I realized with horror that I HAD taken his words right out of his mouth. "You can't," I told him. "You can't come with me. Your home is here in Bowser's Castle. If you go Lord Bowser - I mean, Bowser - will miss you. No. He won't miss you, but he'll see that you've gone missing."

He shook his head. Then he zoomed around me and waved his hand at the many other Boos in the room. I knew what he was getting at. He was indicating that there were so many Boos that no one would notice if one went missing. Also, Bowser hardly ever even goes into the Boo Room because that was supposed to be my turf.

I gave in. "All right, you can come with me," I said, and the result was spontaneous. Boo spun happily around me in fast circles that I got dizzy.

Well, something good did come out of all of this, however: I've got a friend who will come with me in my new adventures. A sidekick, maybe? Like Mario and Luigi? That sounds like a pretty good idea, and Boo obviously thought so too for he spun faster while letting out weird little screeches. He was making my skull spin, and finally I did fall flat onto my tailbone.

However, having a friend felt... Good. And for the first time ever, I laughed. Out loud.


	4. Koopa: Insert Second Chapter Title Here

**Four: Koopa - *Insert Second Chapter Title Here***

The Journal of a Librarian (that's myself)  
_By Koopa Troopa_

"When I first opened my eyes, light was shining in through the blinds. I blinked and tried to guess what time it was. Maybe seven o' clock. Yeah. That must be it.

However, when I stood up and looked at my clock, I saw that the seven o' clock I mentioned earlier was an extreme understatement. It was already 9 o'clock! I must've overslept!

Gramps isn't going to like this, I thought as I got ready as quickly as I could before going outside and resuming my job as a junior but real librarian.

Sure enough, I could already hear my gramps' voice outside my door, cursing those fancy doo-dads. "Koopa!" he called. "Where are you?! Why are you still in your room? Are you still asleep? Ah! I should've guessed. Young people these days like to sleep in, I wonder why. They're missing out on all the sunrise-watching. Koopa! When are you going to start working, eh, grandson?! Ugh! Curse these fancy doo-dads!"

"Yes, grandfather," I called out, hurriedly pulling on my favorite green shoes and bursting out of the door. "Sorry, grandfather."

Koopa Krag gave me an up-and-down look, as if he was trying to see whether today I was good enough to be his librarian assistant or not. He evidently chose to decide I was.

"Very well then, grandson," he said. "Now go and get to work." As I nodded and went away, I could hear that he was mumbling under his breath, "And I hope we get a teensy bit more customers than yesterday."

Now, I am going to tell you the painful truth. Our library business hasn't exactly been going well these past days. Yesterday, our only customer was Toadsworth, and that wasn't even very special because he visits every day.

So I got around and started to dust the books people will never see and borrow and especially not read, put up the Open sign on the door - not that anyone would notice it - and after making sure that everything is ready to go when - if - a customer should come, I sat at my desk at the far end of the library to continue writing my manuscript.

That was when I heard the bell jingle.

Whaddya know. Toadsworth must have decided to come earlier than when he usually does."


	5. Dry Bones: Brains and Boneheads

**Five: Dry Bones - Brains and Boneheads**

"First of all," I told my Boo, "we're going to need a map. The truth is, I don't really know where I'm going, but I certainly am not going to stay any longer in Bowser's Castle."

Boo suddenly made weird noises and began pointing at something behind me.

"No, I'm not going back to Bowser's Castle, Boo," I told him. "I've had enough of the rules and the lava moat and Bowser's seven children the Koopalings. I've had enough of Bowser Jr.'s graffiti tricks, and I've certainly had enough of Boo Rooms and dusting pinball machines."

Boo's weird noises got even more loud and urgent. Finally I had to do what he was asking me to do - I turned to see what he was pointing at.

"Ah," I cleared my throat sheepishly. "Umm, good idea, Boo. Kamek's former library. Maybe we can find a map in there."

He rolled his eyes but followed me down the hill and into the library.

The bell jingled as I went in. Ah, Kamek's library was exactly the same as I'd remembered it. Well. That is, except for the star-containing magical lamps, I don't know where they'd got to. But apart from that, everything was just how Kamek had left it as far as I could see.

As I went inside wondering how I'm going to find a map of the Mushroom Kingdom among all these books, an old librarian suddenly came out from a corridor. He had white hair that even covered his eyes.

"Grandson, where's the-" he started to say when he saw me (don't ask me how he could even DO this through that bushy white hair). "Oh! A customer! Good morning, good morning! What kind of book are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for a map of the Mushroom Kingdom," I told him.

"Err, map, yes," he said thoughtfully. "Umm, let's see. It _could _be in the thirteenth row... Or was it the seventeenth? In any case, it ISN'T in this row over here, that's for sure. Maybe it's in the twenty-fourth? Or was it twenty-_fifth_?" He sighed exasperatedly. "Oh, I'm sorry my lad. Curse my old brain and feeble memory! I've completely forgotten where the map section is. You better ask my grandson - he should know where it is. Grandson?! GRANDSON! We've got a customer!"

"Yes, grandfather." Suddenly there was a shout of reply, and a younger librarian rushed to us, holding a few papers and a pen.

He stopped short when he saw me. A dark look crossed his face and he said starkly, "Is there anything I can help you with?" in a rather cool, unfriendly air. Do not ask me what I have done to this character.

"Yeh, he's looking for a map of the Mushroom Kingdom," the old librarian said, unaware of the tension building between me and his grandson. "Go and help him, if you will." He started to hobble away, stopping only when one of Kamek's mischievous bookshelves slid in his way. "Curse these fancy doo-dads!"

Meanwhile, my invisible trailing Boo and I followed the younger librarian down the corridor.

"What brings you here?" The question was asked in another cool tone.

"I was trying to find a map," I said, stating the obvious. What was _wrong _with this guy? He was acting as if I were a criminal escaped from jail.

"Any other special reasons?"

"Special reasons? What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, you know." We finally reached our destination, a dark part of the library and the librarian reached up to get a book. Before handing it to me, he looked at me squarely in the eye.

"Reasons that have got stuff to do with _turning people to stones_?"

"What?" I faltered. "How d-did you know what I did?"

"This is Kamek's library," he said coolly. "Kamek is in cahoots with Bowser, who's in cahoots with Piranha Plant, and Hammer Bro, and with _you_. Dry Bones."

"I... I..."

"Practically everyone knows that string of incidents. I knew a _lot_ because, like I said, this was Kamek's library," he went on. "Grandfather doesn't know anything now because he either didn't know anything at all due to being trapped in the book or he did know but forgot. But I still do - the Piranha Plant in Wiggler's garden, Hammer Bro going wild in Toadette's music room, Kamek trapping my grandfather in a magic book right here, and finally, Bowser's pinball machine. And you, you turned Donkey Kong into stone."

"I..." I admit I was taken off-guard. "I thought you d-don't talk about this anymore."

"Oh, you don't simply stop talking about stuff like these. Things that concern your reputation," he said. Then he frowned. "Turning people into statues is really mean."

"I... Well... Bowser put me up to that, actually," I stammered. "I wouldn't have done it if Bowser hadn't told me to, really."

"Right. You wouldn't," he said flatly.

"I'm telling the truth," I said. "And I won't do anything like that again. I've left Bowser's, umm, _employment_, so I won't do any more funny stuff like that."

"Right. You wouldn't."

Dramatic subject change: "So, here's your map. Thank you for visiting Koopa Krag's library and please come again."

Well. My adventure was off on a rather ungraceful start.


	6. Koopa: Insert Third Chapter Title Here

**Six: Koopa - *Insert Third Chapter Title Here***

The Journal of a Librarian (that's myself)  
_By Koopa Troopa_

"So the ringing of the bell did indicate that a visitor was coming, but the visitor wasn't Toadsworth. It was Dry Bones. The second I saw him, the Mario Party incidents came springing back to mind and I put up my guard. Maybe, just maybe, he'd come to turn grandfather and I into stones too. I'll make sure I stop him before he does.

But he didn't do anything else after that besides check the book out and leave like any other Mushroom Kingdom citizen.

That. Was. Weird.

Maybe what he was blabbing about was right, that he didn't do that after his own will and intention? That he only did because of Bowser? Would he do it again?

I don't know, but I hope not. But I'll be careful - you can never be too careful with people like that. Like I said, it's got to do with your reputation.

Anyway, today our library reached its peak number of visitors of two. Toadsworth came in the afternoon with a wheelbarrow, and he stuffed it to the brim with borrowed books on astronomy. Grandfather reminded him that the books on biology he'd borrowed sometime earlier were already overdue, and he made a mental note to search for them since he had forgotten where he put them (typical Toadsworth).

But after he left, it was back to just Grandfather and the sliding bookcases and me and my manuscript."


	7. Dry Bones: Confessions

**S****even****: Dry Bones - Confessions of an Undead Koopa**

DK's Jungle. My old crypt.

"I've got it, Boo!" I exclaimed. "I'll go back to my crypt. My old one in DK's Jungle."

Boo looked at me strangely. Then I remembered that Boo didn't even know I had a crypt. He didn't even know I once had a life outside Bowser's Castle.

Maybe I did have a life outside Bowser's Castle, but I never had a life away from Bowser himself. Even though I didn't live in Bowser's Castle, I was still Bowser's servant. I had to do what he told me to.

So tada! DK is a stone statue.

But the young librarian seems to be right. Sometimes although you've made yourself promise you wouldn't do the same mistake again, people still look at you differently. It's got to do with your reputation. I guess.

I sighed as I looked down at the map and began to navigate through this foreign territory called Mushroom Kingdom.

* * *

...

Home sweet crypt.

I finally arrived in my beloved crypt again. I've missed its dark interior so much. I could tell Boo liked it too.

I settled down while Boo zoomed around taking in the details of my dreary crypt while screeching like a howling banshee. After a few minutes he flopped down tired, and at last I could hear myself think.

Now since I'm back home, I may as well make a few confessions.

One. Remember the excuse I'd prepared for myself before telling Bowser that I was leaving? The "My family's moving to Los Angeles" one?

It's a big, big, big, big, big, big, big lie.

Maybe you have already guessed that it was just an excuse, but the lie is actually bigger than that. Much bigger.

Not only that my family isn't moving to Los Angeles, I don't even know _where_ my family is. I don't even know if I even _have_ such a thing called a family.

I'm only assuming that I do but have never met them. After all, Bowser has a family - his seven children. Kamek has a family, at least one member: a sister named Kammy Koopa. The old librarian and his grandson is a family. Everyone has a family. I must, too, right?

For as long as I could remember, I've always lived either in Bowser's Castle or this crypt.

Alone.

I have never met anyone else of my species.

I know. It's really sad, but what can you do about it? You can only live through it.

Two? I was telling the truth to that young librarian. I've had enough of turning people into stone. How did I even _get_ that ability, anyway?


	8. Koopa: Insert Fourth Chapter Title Here

**Eight****: Koopa - *Insert Fourth Chapter Title Here***

Journal of a Librarian (that's myself)  
_By Koopa Troopa_

"Toadsworth is here. He'd come to return the biology books. He laughingly told my grandfather that he'd found the books in Princess Peach's freezer. A rather confused Toadette had given them back, asking him why they were in the freezer. Toadsworth had gladly accepted them, although of course he couldn't explain why since he'd already forgotten.

As Grandfather laid them out to thaw, I chatted with Toadsworth a bit. I admit his level of language and conversation topics exceed mine greatly, and I was constantly challenged to understand the meaning of his sentences without the help of a dictionary.

Before Toadsworth could launch into an explanation of 'the link between wind strength and velocity with the propellers of the Fly Guys', I was saved by the bell.

Another customer! Wow, this library is slowly but surely getting busier.

But when I glanced at the door, my heart sank to the soles of my green shoes (I am trying to be poetic these days).

IT WAS PIRANHA PLANT!

What was he _doing_ in the library?! Had he gotten tired of the garden in Bowser's Castle? Was he here to colonize the library just like how he had in Wiggler's garden?!

An angry Piranha Plant is equivalent to a T-rex in Mushroom Kingdom. Maybe even worse. A T-rex doesn't spit fireballs, that's for sure.

The Piranha Plant shot a fireball at Toadsworth and I, but we quickly ran away from his line of fire. It nearly sizzled the biology books on the desk. The ice melted immediately.

"GRANDFATHER! WE HAVE A RAMPAGING VISITOR HERE!" I shouted. "WE MIGHT NEED SOME FIRE EXTINGUISHERS."

"What?! Where? Why?!" Grandfather's footsteps echoed down the corridor, but there was a crash as he ran straight into a sliding bookcase. "GAH! My nose! Curse these fancy doo-dads!"

I stared at the Piranha Plant, wondering what I could do to stop it. Grandfather, I realized, wasn't going to be of much help.

"Toadsworth! What do the biology books say about Piranha Plants?" I asked urgently.

Toadsworth moaned as he cowered behind me. "I don't know! I've been trying to remember why the books were in the freezer that I totally forgot what they said inside. My apologies."

I groaned and slapped my forehead. Oh, Toadsworth!

The Piranha Plant was about to fire another fireball at Toadsworth and I...

When we were saved by the bell.

"Good morning! I've come back to return the map."

It was Dry Bones.

"What are you doing here?" I cried.

"I... I've come to return the map," he said slowly, freezing when he saw the giant Piranha Plant. "Um... What is he _doing_ here?"

"You should know!" I exclaimed. "Aren't you friends with him?!"

"No, I can't say that, though I have seen him in Bowser's garden," he said. "Is... Is he... _Misbehaving_?"

"You can definitely say that!" I snarled.

And then the Piranha Plant opened fire.

"RUN!" I shouted, and Toadsworth and I ducked behind another bookcase as the spot we've been standing on exploded.

"I can help," Dry Bones said.

"By 'help', do you mean helping us or HIM?" I called back.

"Oh, come on. I've told you that I don't do that kind of things anymore," he sighed. Suddenly he was enveloped with magical electricity and he zapped Piranha Plant from behind.

"H-he's helping us!" Toadsworth gasped. "That's new!"

"It certainly is," I said in amazement. "It certainly is."

The Piranha Plant was now more interested in Dry Bones than in Toadsworth and I. He turned around and loomed over him.

In turn Dry Bones zapped Piranha Plant again. Piranha Plant roared and got ready to sizzle him.

"Yikes! I can't watch!" Toadsworth moaned.

I saw my chance. While Piranha Plant's back was to me, I hid into my shell and launched myself at him. My hard shell hit him, and he roared, turning around. Dry Bones zapped him, paralyzing him for a moment. I hit him with my shell again, shoving him out of the door. Dry Bones and I slammed the door shut and leaned against it with relief.

That was when Grandfather rushed into the scene, a little too late.

"What? What I miss?"

"Oh, your last customer just left," Toadsworth told him shakily.

Grandfather was silent for a moment. He didn't seem to see the minor destruction Piranha Plant had caused. Then he shrugged. "Oh. Well then. Carry on." He walked away again.

There was silence for a few moments.

Then Dry Bones spoke. "Your shell is pretty tough."

I nodded, turning to him with wide eyes. "You're not too bad yourself."

...

To continue...

At night, I wrote this manuscript before going to bed. I'm beginning to rethink what I've earlier concluded about Dry Bones. Maybe he's not the cold-hearted villain who enjoys turning people into stone statues anymore. Maybe he did decide to turn over a new leaf.

Could there be a bright side in the dreary undead after all?"


	9. Dry Bones: My (Potentially) 2nd Friend

**Nine****: Dry Bones - My (Potentially) Second Friend**

"You're not too bad yourself."

He'd said it. He'd said the words I'd been waiting for. "_You're not too bad yourself._"

You're _not too bad_ yourself!

"See, Boo, I'm not such a villain after all," I said triumphantly once we were back in my crypt. He only cowered on my shoulder. He had been so terrified when he saw the Piranha Plant that he didn't make himself visible today. Not even once.

"We'll come back to the library tomorrow," I decided. Boo responded with a series of terrified shrieks.

"No, there'll be no more Piranha Plants, Boo," I told him. "There's no need to be afraid. There'll be no more Piranha Plants at the library, I promise."

Boo sighed and finally nodded.

"Great!" I exclaimed. "This is great. This may take a long while, but I have a hunch I'm about to make my second friend!"

Boo rolled his eyes and let out a little screech.

"What? Don't think so negatively, Boo," I said. "The young librarian wasn't anywhere as cold as when we first went there. That must be a good sign."

He said nothing else but went into my wardrobe (his bed). Meanwhile, I made myself comfortable in my coffin and was soon asleep.

...

The next day, Boo and I returned to the library.

The second I went in, I was blinded by a forceful jet of foam right in my face.

"GWAH! Wh-what is the meaning of this?!" I cried through the foam.

"Grandfather!" The voice of the young librarian moaned. "That's not a Piranha Plant."

"Oh." The foam burst stopped. I wiped the foam off my face to see the older librarian standing there blankly holding a fire extinguisher.

"Please listen, Grandfather," the young librarian sighed. "The Piranha Plant has left. He will not be coming back, so you don't really need to use the fire extinguisher every time a customer goes in through the door."

"Oh. Well then! I'm going back to work. Make sure you don't dillydally all day and do something, OK grandson?!"

"Yes, Grandfather," he said as his grandfather walked away.

"Sorry about that," he told me. "My grandfather unfortunately gets a bit confused sometimes. So, what kind of book is it today? What are you planning on reading about?"

"Um..." I racked my brains. I hadn't really come to borrow any books - I just came to find someone to talk to. But then it hit me as I remembered my conversation with Bowser the day I left.

"Tennis, please," I said.

And then, I found that he had gone up from 'super cold' to 'potential second friend'.


	10. Koopa: Insert Fifth Chapter Title Here

**Ten: Koopa - *Insert Fifth Chapter Title Here***

Journal of a Librarian (that's myself)  
_By Koopa Troopa_

"Toadsworth didn't come today. Maybe he's still pretty shaken by the Piranha Plant incident.

But Dry Bones did.

OK, I think since he isn't such a baddie after all, I shall give him a second chance.

And so this is the conversation between yours truly and Dry Bones this afternoon.

_Key:_  
_KT: Koopa Troopa_  
_DB: Dry Bones_

**DB:** "Tennis, please."

**KT:** "Oh! You're interested in tennis?"

**DB:** "Umm, well, I just... Might consider taking it up."

**KT:** "Oh, you should! It's really fun. I play tennis myself."

**DB:** "You do?"

**KT:** "Yeah. I even played in some Mario Power Tennis tournaments, actually. You really should start playing, too."

**DB:** "Hmm, I might. If you say so..."

**KT: **"You should. Really. Well, there are a lot of good tennis players out there, but the reigning champion is... Surprise! Mario. He completely destroyed me." *sigh*

**DB:** "Ah. Um, well, what other sports are you interested in?"

**KT:** "HA! Soccer, of course! I'm in Yoshi's team in the Mario Strikers Charged championship. It's really fun."

**DB:** "So you recommend soccer too?"

**KT:** "Oh yeah, definitely. I say, soccer is more action-packed than tennis. Although the championship qualifying round is yet to come, Yoshi and I have started practicing. Whenever I'm not being a junior librarian, that is. Which means we hardly ever practice anymore these days..."

But the moment I brought up the subject of the Mario Strikers Charged championship, my mind was focused on one thing.

Yoshi needs one more player in the team.

Who knows, Dry Bones might just be good at soccer."


	11. Dry Bones: Soccer Stuff n Such

**Eleven****: Dry Bones - Soccer Stuff n' Such**

"Koopa recommended taking up soccer," I told Boo back in the crypt. "He said that soccer was more... Action-packed."

I finally knew the librarian's name. I know it's a bit awkward that he knew mine but I didn't his, but before going home I finally got it. His name was Koopa Troopa.

"What do you think? Should I play soccer? Try out for the team?"

Boo shrugged and went back to playing with the spiders in the corner. His message was clear: he didn't really care.

"Well, I can't really stay in here all the time and do nothing, you know," I sighed.

This time, he didn't even pay attention to me.

"You might have found some amusement in spiders, Boo, but I have not. I can't just sit here and rot. Well, I can't literally rot because I have no flesh, but you get the idea..."

When he didn't respond again, I realized that I was as well as talking to thin air. I decided to not ask for his opinion. After all, if I really did decide to try out, it's not like Boo's the one who's going to play, right?

* * *

I decided to ask for directions to Yoshi's house. Well. I haven't been in Mushroom Kingdom very long, so I don't really know anyone yet.

A little guy with a white mushroom cap with red spots on it wearing a blue vest and what seemed to be diapers passed by, and I decided to ask him. "Excuse me, can you tell me the directions to Yoshi's house?"

He stopped and smiled a friendly smile. "Of course," he said in a rather childish voice. Then he paused. "Well, it depends on which Yoshi you're talking about, of course."

"What?" I squeaked. "How many Yoshis are there?"

"I don't know," he said. "There are a lot of Yoshis. There's green Yoshi, blue Yoshi, purple Yoshi, yellow Yoshi, pink Yoshi, red Yoshi... Well, which one are we talking about here?"

Which Yoshi are we talking about here? "Um..." I stammered. "Um, the one who plays in the Mario Strikers Charged championship?"

"Oh, you mean green Yoshi," he laughed. "Don't worry, newcomers always get confused by the Yoshis. There are a whole lot of them that they've even got their own island." Then he smiled again. "Well, if it's green Yoshi you're looking for, why don't you come with me?" He suggested. "I'm also going to his house."

"OK," I said with relief.

...

When we finally reached Yoshi's house (which was white with green spots on it) I talked to him about trying out for the team. He asked me whether I'd had any experience in playing soccer.

The truth is, I've had a _lot_ of experience. At Bowser's Castle, I often played soccer with Bowser Jr. I made a pretty good goalkeeper, although maybe that was because Bowser Junior's kicks were more often than not off-target.

Yoshi didn't really say whether I was in or not, but he _did_ say that I still needed to practice, because practice makes perfect.

"Practice? With whom?" I asked.

That was when the mushroom guy piped up. "Oh, that's easy!" He exclaimed. "You can practice with me and the rest of the Toad Brigade!"

"Really, Toad?" Yoshi looked unsure. "I thought the Brigade's job is to protect the princess and guard the palace."

"That _is_ our job, but we don't have to do it _all the time_," Toad said in a dismissive manner. "We love to play sports in our free time. Toadsworth, you won't believe this, is really flexible. He can do all sorts of gymnastic moves, but he does complain about his joints the next day." He chuckled. "I can play ice hockey, basketball, dodgeball, and volleyball. If it's about baseball, R-Toad is the best. But since we're talking about soccer here, I suggest you talk to B-Toad. He's the best striker there is."

"R-Toad? B-Toad?" I asked in confusion, my mind spinning like a top.

"Oh yeah, I forgot you were a newcomer," Toad said. "Well, the thing is, us Toad Brigade members all look the same - mushroom cap, vest, and white _pants_. The only thing different is the color. See? I wear a red-spotted hat and a blue vest. B-Toad - _blue Toad_ - wears a blue-spotted hat and a blue vest. R-Toad - _red Toad_ - wears a red-spotted hat and a red vest. And there are still Y-Toad, G-Toad, and P-Toad."

"For Yellow Toad, Green Toad, and Pink Toad?" I asked.

"Almost," Toad chuckled. "_Purple_ Toad."

Mutlicolored Yoshis and multicolored Toads. Boy, Mushroom Kingdom sure is one strange place.


	12. Koopa: Insert Sixth Chapter Title Here

**Twelve****: Koopa - *Insert Sixth Chapter Title Here***

Journal of a Librarian (that's myself)  
_By Koopa Troopa_

"Today, I guess everything is back to normal. Toadsworth is back at the library. The strange thing is, Dry Bones hasn't been back.

Now, I'm just sitting here writing this manuscript listening to Toadsworth's chatter. Grandfather, meanwhile, is nowhere to be seen. Maybe he's in the deeper part of the library. He'd gone in deeper with a dustcloth this morning. He wanted to clean the books by himself because he claimed that I didn't do it very well. He said I was too often dillydallying, although I'm not.

"...well, I admit I tried to stay away from this library," Toadsworth said as he picked out a few books from the shelves. "The Piranha Plant incident seemed to be too much for this old heart. I tried to stay away, I really did, but my love and thirst for knowledge took over and I just had to come back. You get what I'm saying?"

"Yes, Toadsworth," I said, although I was only half listening to him since I was busy writing.

"...and Princess Peach just can't do with an uninformed advisor, which is why I need to read a lot of books, right?"

"Yes Toadsworth," I said distractedly.

"...and not only that, I've also loved to read since I was just a tiny toadstool." Toadsworth's chatter went on and on and on. "I find astronomy the most interesting, but I also love biology and mathematics. Don't you love math too?"

"Yes Toads-" I was about to reply automatically when someone crashed in through the door. It was Toadbert, another toadstool who lives at Peach's Palace. He wears a lilac mushroom cap with white spots on it, a lilac vest, and glasses.

"Oh, Toadbert," Toadsworth said cheerfully, despite the fact that Toadbert looked bothered and frustrated. "Koopa Troopa and I were just talking about how delightful and interesting math is-"

"Yes, yes, yes," Toadbert moaned. "But Toadsworth look! They've broken my glasses. They've broken my glasses again!"

He showed Toadsworth and I his broken glasses.

"Who are 'they'?" Toadsworth asked.

"The Toad Brigade, of course," moaned Toadbert. "Especially Y-Toad. He's a really nice and cheerful toad, yes, but he's got zero sense of direction so everything he does is off-target."

"What exactly did he do now?" Toadsworth frowned.

Toadbert wrung his hands. He was indeed a bit of a worrywart. "Playing soccer!" He wailed. "The Toad Brigade are playing soccer, all of them. Toad, B-Toad, R-Toad, G-Toad, Y-Toad, P-Toad... You name it, they're playing soccer in the palace backyard."

Toadsworth rolled his eyes. "Well, stop your yammering, Toadbert," he scolded. "We're just going to have to fix those glasses of yours. Again."

"But that's not all!" Toadbert groaned. "They've got a newcomer in the palace playing soccer with them. It's that undead Koopa who once turned Donkey Kong to stone."

"Dry Bones?" I said.

Toadbert nodded nervously. "I wonder what he's doing in Peach's Palace."

"Don't worry, he said he'd turned over a new leaf," I told him. "Toad and the Toad Brigade obviously believe that too, since they are playing together... Aren't they?"

"Yeeees..." Toadbert sighed in an unconvincing manner. "But still..."

Toadsworth clicked his tongue in annoyance. He seemed to have had enough of Toadbert's nervous nature. "We'll fix your glasses, don't stress head over heels on that."

"It's not that..."

"If you ask me, Toadbert," I interrupted, understanding that his broken glasses wasn't why Toadbert was freaking out. "Sometimes people just need a second chance."

...

To continue...

Dusk has fallen over Mushroom Kingdom, and Toadsworth and Toadbert had both gone home. Grandfather has finished dusting the books and, no offense, Grandfather, but I see no difference whatsoever before and after you cleaned.

Now I'm writing this in my room. I might as well write a bit before going to bed.

So. Dry Bones has decided to take up soccer.

If he IS our last teammate, then we're gonna play in the Mario Strikers Charged championship after all.

Which means that I need to start practicing too."


	13. Dry Bones: The Toad Brigade

**Thirteen: Dry Bones – The Toad Brigade**

"No, no, no!"

It was my second day practicing my kicks with the Toad Brigade, and as usual, this guy called Toadbert was worrying his head off. Toadbert was a mushroom guy wearing a lilac hat with white spots on it and a matching lilac vest. Apparently, he was the only mushroom in the palace who wears glasses. Because of Y-Toad's wayward kick on the first day of practice, his glasses were broken and had been glued together.

It was a bit difficult to get into Peach's Palace. Being an ex-enemy of Princess Peach, she had been very wary of me when Toad first introduced me to her. Her expression was a dead giveaway and so it wasn't strange that Mario and Luigi were following me for the rest of the day, armed with walkie-talkies and hammers.

The "No, no, no!" was exclaimed by Toadbert, who had ducked to avoid another wayward kick by the one and only Y-Toad. B-Toad, the apparent leader of these practice sessions, didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that Y-Toad still haven't got the hang of it. His pride and joy is actually G-Toad, who was also a natural at soccer and who was going to play in Yoshi's team in the Fire Cup.

And, of course, there was me.

B-Toad had said that I had potency to be a great player. It made me feel rather proud of myself because it became evident that I'd won all those soccer sessions in Bowser's Castle not because of Bowser Jr.'s off-target kicks, but because I actually had real skills. It made me want to work harder to get into the team.

In contrast to my existence in Mushroom Kingdom which was getting to be more well-known and acknowledged, Boo didn't make any appearance in front of Koopa, Koopa Krag, Toadsworth, Toadbert, or the Toad Brigade although he does keep following me around. In short, it was as if he didn't want to make himself visible for anyone else except me. Well, it was entirely his choice to appear or not, but I sometimes wish I had the chance to introduce him to the others. After all, he is my first friend.

* * *

...

"All right," said B-Toad. "P-Toad, why don't you go and be the goalkeeper? We're gonna shoot some penalties." He looked at me. "Think you can get in more than four shots?"

"Bring it on," I said.

Little did I know was that I was being watched.

...

* * *

A few days later, it was in my crypt that I finally got some news.

Boo immediately went invisible when we heard a knock on my crypt covering.

"Come in," I said, wondering who it was.

In came Yoshi and G-Toad.

"Good afternoon, Dry Bones," Yoshi said. "We came to tell you some news about our Fire Cup team," G-Toad added.

Icicles began to run up and down my vertebrae when I heard that it was about the soccer team. What were they going to tell me? Can I be part of the team?

"You can be part of our team," said Yoshi, as if he'd read my mind.

"I can?!" I squeaked. Then I noticed something odd. "But you haven't seen me play yet!"

Yoshi grinned. "Actually, I have," he said. "You just didn't see me watching you. B-Toad told me that he and the Toad Brigade were training you in the palace. He invited me over, but he didn't tell you that I was going to come watch, did he?"

"No," I said. _He most certainly did not._

G-Toad smiled. "I hope you don't mind," he said. "B-Toad and the others decided to let Yoshi see how you _train_ and _improve_ instead of seeing how well you do in a test. After all, as Toadsworth always says, the true character in someone is actually when no one is watching. Goes for soccer too."

"Of course. I don't mind," I said, relieved that I was that kind of person who tries his best every time.

The only thing that matters now is that I'm in the team!


	14. Koopa: Insert Seventh Chapter Title Here

**Fourteen: Koopa - *Insert Seventh Chapter Title Here***

Journal of a Librarian (that's myself)  
_By Koopa Troopa_

"On Friday, the members of Yoshi's team for the Fire Cup assembled in Grandfather's library. Including Dry Bones. After a few training sessions with the Toad Brigade in Peach's Palace, Yoshi decided that he was good enough to be in the team. I can't wait to see his moves in the field. Don't you think it's really cool to team up with someone whom you've never ever thought of teaming up with?

"OK," Yoshi said as the team captain. "First, we need to build the perfect team. I'm the captain, so I'll be the striker."

"OK," I agreed. The others nodded.

"Of course, Kritter will be our goalie," Yoshi went on.

"Umm, excuse me," Dry Bones spoke up uncertainly. "Who's Kritter?"

G-Toad let out a small squeal. "_Only_ the best goalie ever!" he exclaimed. "He's the best at blocking supershots!" His eyes were shining and he had got a faraway look in them. I rolled my eyes. And G-Toad is_ only_ the most enthusiastic Kritter fan in Mushroom Kingdom.

"Oh, OK," Dry Bones said. "I think I've already got an idea who he is. Thanks."

"All right," I said, getting back to the point. "Kritter will be our goalie. And then what?"

"You, Koopa, shall be our back," Yoshi said. "Your job is to keep the ball from reaching Kritter in the first place."

I nodded. "Understood."

"That leaves Dry Bones and G-Toad to be the midfielders," Yoshi said. "G-Toad, you're our playmaker. And Dry Bones, make sure you help me attack, OK?"

"OK," Dry Bones and G-Toad said together.

"Great. It's all settled then," Yoshi said. "And now, for our team uniforms..."

...

"Is this really necessary?" Dry Bones moaned some time later.

I turned to look at him and had a very difficult time trying to keep my face straight.

I believe this was G-Toad's idea. Sometimes his way of thinking is so very retarded, but this has won the prize. Since Dry Bones was made of bone all over, G-Toad had decided to simply dump a can of green paint on Dry Bones' head. So now he was wearing a green armor with the signature green and white spotty egg on it, a pair of green soccer cleats, and a green skull. Literally.

"That works," I said, trying to keep from giggling. I myself was simply wearing a green armor and green soccer boots. No one is going to dump paint on _my_ head.

"Oh, this really matches the spots on my head," G-Toad said, admiring himself in the mirror. His green armor looked really well on him since his spots were green too. I wondered how his head didn't feel heavy – G-Toad was wearing a _metal green helmet_ on top of his mushroom hat.

"Captain" Yoshi looked the coolest. Well. He _is_ our captain, after all.

"Um... I wasn't joking when I asked you whether this was necessary," Dry Bones frowned as green paint dripped off his nose. "Why are we wearing _a suit of armor_? We're only going to play soccer."

My eyes widened and G-Toad also stared at him.

"My friend, " I said, "You shall see soon enough."

And he will, too, because the first match is tomorrow.

...

Whoops. That's Grandfather. He's shouting at me to stop writing and get some sleep. He says I need to be well-rested for tomorrow, and he is right. These last few days have been such a dream that I find myself writing even more than usual.

I hope everything tomorrow goes without a hitch."


	15. Dry Bones: On Fire (Matchday, 1st Half)

**F****ifteen****: Dry Bones - On Fire (Matchday, First Half)**

Our first match was to take place in a stadium called The Vise. And as Yoshi, Koopa, G-Toad, and I looked up at the sky from the center of the muddy field, I understood exactly why it was called that. Inside it, I felt small and cooped up by its metal arms that stretched up into the sky.

We were supposed to play against Wario, but as we looked around, we didn't see him anywhere. Sure, there were three Monty moles from his team and his Kritter, but we didn't see the captain.

"Maybe he chickened out and decided not to play after all," G-Toad suggested helpfully. "Maybe he knows we're too good."

"Or maybe not," Koopa mumbled as the spectators suddenly pointed up at the sky. A murmur rippled through the crowd. Someone shouted, "There's Wario!"

We looked up just in time to see Wario free-falling from the sky. He had his arms stretched out as if he was wearing a parachute and was having the best time of his life. His supporters and teammates were shouting and cheering.

Finally he landed - hard, judging by his weight - on the ground perfectly on his feet. And just like that, I heard a whistle blow and the game began.

Speedy G-Toad got the ball before anyone else could react. He was dribbling the ball towards Wario's team's goal when the three Monty moles came up and surrounded him. Before G-Toad could pass the ball, one of the Monty moles tackled him, sending him spinning to the edge of the field.

Suddenly there was a crackle of static and the next thing I knew, G-Toad was ramming into the fence. Which was, it turned out, an _electric_ fence.

My hand was shooting up and I was about to shout, "Foul!" when Koopa ran up next to me and stopped me. "Dry Bones, no!" he warned me, shaking his head. "But why not?" I burst out. "That meanie pushed G-Toad at the electric fence! That must be against the rules!"

Koopa shook his head again. "No."

"What do you mean, no?"

"It's not against the rules," Koopa said. "Because there aren't any rules."

Icicles ran up and down my vertebrae. Thank goodness I have my armor. Now I know why Yoshi, Koopa, and G-Toad were so keen on wearing them.

"I'm OK!" G-Toad shouted, running to the middle of the field again. "Thank goodness I have my armor!" He echoed the exact same sentence I'd been thinking.

I shuddered. What have I gotten myself into?

...But there was no time to think about that now. We have a game to win. No. I shook my head. At this rate, it's going to be 'we have a game to get out of alive'.

I was snapped out of my reverie by a rush of wind whipping past. It turned out to be a Monty mole who had the ball. He was dribbling it towards our goal. I chided myself, keep your head on and inside the game! No time to think about the armor and the electric fence. _Keep your head on, Dry Bones._

I had to run to catch up to Monty, who'd had a head start. I ran in front of him to steal the ball, but he had already kicked it. The ball whizzed past. There was no way I could block it somehow.

But Kritter did. There was a small slap as his hands got ahold of the ball.

"Yay!" G-Toad sang despite his singed armor. He smiled at me. "Now you understand why he's such a great goalie!"

...

The match, I should say, is quite a tight one. Neither team showed much better skill than the other, and goals were scored alternately.

That was when I learnt that we could use special powers to score. I learnt it the hard way, when Wario suddenly "emitted" a foul green gas with smell so vile it made everyone double up. I could only retch and cough and watch helplessly as the ball zoomed past a coughing Kritter. Then after stealing the ball from Yoshi using a move he called "Butt Smash" - I bet you can imagine how it works - one of his Monty moles burrowed under the ground with the it, popped up right in front of the goal and scored. I only clenched my fists in annoyance, not because Kritter couldn't catch the ball, but because there was no way we could have stopped Monty if he was underground. Then Wario struck again, without the smelly gas this time, but still dangerous. He used his special skill shot to shoot not one, not two, but _four_ balls at Kritter, who only managed to block half of them. I stared with my mandibule slack. I didn't know something like that could even _happen_.

Just when I thought we were losing, Koopa made an excellent comeback by using one of his own skill shots. He kicked the ball at the opposing team's goal with a flurry of curious bubbles, but Wario's Kritter blocked it away. At first I was dismayed, but then I saw that Koopa had done that on purpose, for now the bubbles were blocking Kritter's vision! Koopa kicked the ball back and it flew easily past the confused goalkeeper.

G-Toad's skill, I found, came from mushrooms. Yup, when he kicked the ball at Wario's goal, with a profusion of purple mushrooms this time, Kritter made another mistake of catching it. Simultaneously, he acted as if he'd eaten a poisonous mushroom: his actions appeared slow and lagged. I watched gleefully as Kritter dove for the next ball in slow motion, and joined in the cheering afterward as G-Toad flew down the field after having scored his first goal.

But Yoshi.

Yoshi's shot, of course, is the coolest. Like Wario, as the captain, he had the ability to shoot more than just one ball.

First, he did a Flutter Jump until he was really high in the air, and then he seemed to just hover there for a second as if he had wings. Then he SMACKED the ball with his unbelievably long tongue at Wario's goal. I saw Kritter put his hands up to get ready, but of all five of Yoshi's shots, he could only block one.

I felt like falling over. So impressive!

And yet, a question was hanging in my brain: my teammates had such awesome special shots. But what could _I_ do?

The whistle blew. The first half was over.


	16. Koopa: Insert Eighth Chapter Title Here

**Sixteen****: Koopa - *Insert Eighth Chapter Title Here***

How to Win a Soccer Game: Five Simple Tricks to Improve Your Kicks  
_By Koopa Troopa_  
_(That's myself)_

1. Don't get too close to the other team's Kritter, or he'll swipe the ball from right under you and/or tackle you and send you flying. The latter seems more likely, though.

2. Do not hesitate to tackle (or punch, or headbutt, whatever works best for you) your opponents. Either you tackle them or you get tackled first. Remember, there are no rules.

3. Do not hesitate to push your opponents into the electric fence. Either you electrocute them or you get electrocuted first. Remember, there are no rules.

4. Stay away from anything that starts with 'Butt' and ends with 'Smash'. And under any circumstances, do not stand behind Wario if you know what's good for you.

5. GO BERSERK. I mean, there are no rules. Or have I mentioned that already?


	17. Dry Bones: On Fire (Matchday, 2nd Half)

**S****even****teen: Dry Bones - On Fire II (Matchday, Second Half)**

It's been some time into the second half, and the score was now tied. I won't tell you how much more Butt Smashes Wario has done, because I've even lost count ("Who's counting in the first place?" G-Toad grumbled).

I felt exhausted, yet we can't give up since victory was so near our grasp. We only needed one more goal to lead, and the seconds were ticking away.

Both teams were playing on the offensive. Each team wanted to score, to be the one who goes into the next qualifying round.

"It's gonna be us!" Yoshi had said before going out of the locker room. He was trying to not let our hopes down. One goal, that was what we needed.

Now I was bounding down the field with the metal ball at my heels. Two Monty moles were chasing after me, followed by Wario emitting the foul gas. A Monty was right in front of me, barring me from his goal. That was when Koopa burst right out of nowhere, tackling the Monty mole.

"What the-?!" I burst out with surprise. Thankfully I didn't lose the ball.

"Either you tackle them or you get tackled first. Remember, there are no rules," he shouted in response. "Rule Number Two of the Five Simple Tricks to Improve Your Kicks, by yours truly. Now, go! Score!"

I didn't reply. _Easier said than done_, I thought. I didn't even have a sidekick skill shot yet. Was it possible to score at this time using a simple kick? All the while I was nearing the goal.

_Now, score!_

Without thinking, I just kicked as hard as I possibly could, aiming for the goal. The Monty mole Koopa had tackled was still on the ground, so there was only Wario's Kritter left protecting the goal.

As the ball flew closer, I realized that I had made a dreadful mistake. I didn't kick the ball at the empty unprotected spot of the goal. Instead, I'd kicked it right at Wario's Kritter. He was sure to catch it now!

_Way to go, Dry Bones._

That was when I saw a spark of yellow and blue electricity around the ball as Kritter put his hands up to block it. There was an epic hissing sound, and suddenly Kritter froze.

Wait a second. He wasn't frozen. He was _paralyzed_.

He was still crackling with static electricity when the ball bounced back almost obediently and landed right back at my feet.

Of course! How could I have been so blind? Why didn't I think of this before? I could use the power of electricity I possess to my advantage. And what can electricity do? Electrocute people. Paralyze people. BAM! Goal. All I needed to do was to give it another good kick.

I didn't miss a beat. I kicked the ball hard again, and Kritter made no move to block it.

There was a slight _whoosh_ as the ball nestled at the back of the net.

And the next second, it was over.

Yoshi, Koopa, and G-Toad were suddenly beside me, and they were cheering. The Toad Brigade in the spectators waved the banner they'd been holding like a flag. The sounds of our team's cries and those of our supporters were deafening and my teammates were yelling right beside my ears. But you know what?

It felt good.

It felt good when you realize that you _can_ do something right.

* * *

...

That was when I saw her.

She was sitting behind Wario's team's goal, but I didn't see her before maybe because my mind was so keen on the game. But yes, she'd been sitting there all along.

She had gray arms and legs, a black shell, a jagged skull, and hollow black eyes with bright yellow pupils. I knew it was a she because she was wearing what seemed to be flowers on her head. She was a skeleton Koopa Troopa, the only other one I've seen besides myself since I moved to Mushroom Kingdom.

She was just like me.

Could she and I be _family_?


	18. Koopa: Insert Ninth Chapter Title Here

**Eigh****teen: Koopa - *Insert Ninth Chapter Title Here***

Journal of a Librarian (that's myself)  
_By Koopa Troopa_

"After the match, Yoshi invited us over to his house for a celebratory dinner. The whole Toad Brigade was also invited, along with Toadsworth and Toadbert. Yoshi was, surprisingly, a good cook and in no time at all had steaming plates of food on the table.

I can't describe with words how happy I was. We were now on the way to the next qualifying round of the Mario Strikers Charged Fire Cup Championship! We still had a long way to go, but today I only felt happy and relieved. All that practicing had really paid off.

Once we had stuffed ourselves with food and Toadsworth was showing off his latest gymnastics skills while the Toad Brigade and Yoshi laughed their heads off, Dry Bones suddenly went up to me. Before he could say anything, though, I'd already piped up, "I've already said this many times, but again, that goal was awesome! And it was the one that made us win the game. You're the man of the match!" I joked.

He smiled and said thank you. But then he turned serious and said, "I wanted to ask you a question. Did you see the skeleton Koopa Troopa sitting right behind Wario's team's goal?"

"Hmm?" I thought for a moment, then went on, "Yes. Of course I did. She was the only skeleton Koopa Troopa in Mushroom Kingdom before you came here. Everyone knows her. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing. I think there's something I need to see her about."

"What's that? You've never met her before, yet you need to see her! Is that a crush I suspect?" I sneered.

"No," he said quickly. "Nothing of the sort. So what's her name anyway?"

"Well, she's called Lamela, but everyone calls her May for short," I said. "And, mind you, she's a bit peculiar."

"How so?"

"For starters, she can see _things_," I said, going all boggle-eyed to freak him out. I also added some psychic-ish hand gestures to emphasize my point. "She can see _things that aren't there_. And she also dresses weird. All covered in black and red."

"That's probably just her style," he said matter-of-factly. "Everyone has different styles."

My sneer automatically came back. "Ooh, is that protectiveness I see?" I sang. "What is it with you and this girl, DB?"

"Nothing!" Dry Bones protested quickly. _Too quick!_ "There's something important I need to ask her about. That's all."

I stared at him for a moment, but he only stared back with his hollow eyes. Finally I continued, "There's also this other strange thing about her. In fact, it's what made her so well-known."

"What's that?"

"She remembers every event she'd gone through since she was a little girl," I said with my eyes wide. "She remembers every birthday. She remembers every holiday. She remembers every friend she'd made and had. She remembers every place she'd been to. She remembers every single little thing. She remembers them down to the details."

He stared with an expression of utter astonishment. "How is that possible?"

"No one knows." I went boggle-eyed again. Dry Bones was silent for a few moments, but I could see that the gears in his brain were whirring. He was thinking about something, and I could only guess what. It was as if my newest information had given him a breakthrough or something. I still didn't understand why seeing Lamela was so important for Dry Bones.

"...By the way, do you know where she lives?" Dry Bones finally broke his own silence.

"Everyone knows that, her being the only skeleton Koopa here and all that," I said with a dismissive wave, although I wasn't yet dismissing Dry Bones' weird behavior while we talked about Lamela. I gave him the address, wondering what he was going to do.

"Thanks, Koopa!" He smiled. "You're welcome," I said, but the next moment I couldn't take it anymore. "What's so important about this girl, Dry Bones?"

"Oh, nothing," he said sheepishly. "Just private matters." Then he quickly added, obviously to not get started on crushes again, "...But not 'private' as in crushes and all that! Oh, it's rather hard to explain..."

He looked around. Toadsworth had finished his gymnastics demo and was groaning while holding his back. Yoshi was standing by with a bucket of ice cubes. The Toad Brigade was cheering, although Toadbert looked more worried than anything else.

Toad caught our eyes. "Hey, Koopa, DB!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. "Want to see the gymnastics routine P-Toad and Toadsworth came up with? It's awesome and all of the Brigade has a part in it!"

"OK," I agreed, and he turned back to help Yoshi put the ice cubes on Toadsworth's back.

"...I'll explain it to you sometime later," Dry Bones went on, quickly switching back to the subject. "It's another story."

And it is."

_..._

* * *

_End of the epic first-ever manuscript_

_Written by Koopa Troopa (that's myself)_

_Junior Librarian of Kamek's former library_

_Now Koopa Krag's library_

* * *

...But is it really

✽_«̶ The end? ̶»✽̶_


End file.
